Johnny Got His Gun

It was a pretty dull morning and the Limeys were cold and uncomfortable and sore about the war so somebody took a shot at the Hun. The poor guy stood stock still peering through the fog like he was surprised anybody would want to shoot him. Then the whole Limey regiment began to pop off at him. Even as his body sagged he had a kind of hurt and puzzled look. They let him lie out there with one arm hung over the barbed wire like a sentry who was pointing the way for someone else

Give me back my life. I’m not asking for a happy life now. I’m not asking for a decent life or an honorable life or a free life. I’m beyond that. I’m dead so I’m simply asking for life. To live. To feel. To be something that moves over the ground and isn’t dead. I know what death is and all you people who talk about dying for words don’t even know what life is

of them ever come back and say by god I’m glad I’m dead because death is always better than dishonor? Did they say I’m glad I died to make the world safe for democracy? Did they say I like death better than losing liberty? Did any of them ever say it’s good to think I got my guts blown out for the honor of my country? Did any of them ever say look at me I’m dead but I died for decency and that’s better than being alive? Did any of them ever say here I am I’ve been rotting for two years in a foreign grave but it’s wonderful to die for your native land? Did any of them say hurray I died for womanhood and I’m happy see how I sing even though my mouth is choked with worms

You can always hear the people who are willing to sacrifice somebody else’s life. They’re plenty loud and they talk all the time. You can find them in churches and schools and newspapers and legislatures and congress. That’s their business. They sound wonderful. Death before dishonor. This ground sanctified by blood. These men who died so gloriously. They shall not have died in vain. Our noble dead

And when they couldn’t hook the little guys into fighting for liberty or freedom or democracy or independence or decency or honor they tried the women. Look at the dirty Huns they would say look at them how they rape the beautiful French and Belgian girls. Somebody’s got to stop all that raping. So come on little guy join the army and save the beautiful French and Belgian girls

the way they always slept best and his father’s arm around him and he blinked back the tears. He and his father had lost everything. Themselves and the rod

Maybe he’d better start from the beginning. He was awake now. He was sure of that. He had just felt the nurse’s hands and the nurse’s hands were real. So when he felt them he was awake. Even though the nurse was gone now he was still awake because he was thinking about the rat dream. If you’re thinking about a dream that’s proof you’re awake. That’s clear enough Joe. You’re awake. And you’re trying to get rid of a dream that will come when you go to sleep. You can’t wake yourself out of your sleep by yelling because you can’t yell. You can’t think yourself out of it and then prove it’s gone by opening your eyes because you haven’t got any eyes. Better start hi before you go to sleep Joe that’s the business start in right now.

The rat was eating on him now. He could feel its sharp little teeth as they bit into the edge of the wound and then he could feel the quick little movements through the rat’s body as it chewed. Then it would dig its feet in and scoop out a bit more of flesh and that would hurt and then it would chew again.

There they came upon the Prussian officer. He was a captain. He was lying with one leg straight up in the air. The leg was swelled so much the pants looked as if they were ready to bust open. His face was swelled too. His moustache was still waxed. Sitting on his neck and chewing away at his face was a fat contented rat

The rat came crawling over him stealthily. It came with its sharp little claws up his left leg. It was a great brown trench rat like the ones they used to throw shovels at. It came crawling and sniffing and smelling and tearing away at the bandage over his side. He could feel its whiskers as they tickled the edges of the draining wound.